# Buycott vs PalmOil Scan

The clearest difference is price: PalmOil Scan at Free against Buycott's $1.99. Buycott's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (2.4K vs 25). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

PalmOil Scan is free to download; Buycott costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

PalmOil Scan holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Buycott has 2.4K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 73% of Buycott's written reviews are positive against 53% of PalmOil Scan's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Buycott ships an update every 2 months, PalmOil Scan every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buycott | PalmOil Scan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buycott-barcode-scanner-and-qr-bar-code-scanner/id585933440/reviews) | **[4.7 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palmoil-scan/id671945416/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **2.4K** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **73.2% of reviews** | 53.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#5** | — |
| Size | 16 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Buycott Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/585933443) | [cheyenne mountain zoo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1145912172) |

## What reviewers say

### Buycott

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buycott-barcode-scanner-and-qr-bar-code-scanner/id585933440)

**Currently charting:** #5 Top Paid · Shopping (US App Store)

Empower your purchasing decisions by scanning product barcodes to reveal their history and align with your values. Join campaigns to support causes you care about and discover alternative products that better match your preferences. Share your decisions to create impact and engage your community.

**Highlights:** Scan product barcodes for history, Join campaigns for causes, Discover alternative products, Broadcast purchase decisions, Improve leaderboard position, Create custom campaigns

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful app for making informed purchases
- 👍 Convenient way to avoid unethical companies
- 🚀 Helps change shopping habits for the better
- 👍 Provides transparency on company ownership

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes frequently
- 🐛 Barcode scanner often doesn't work
- 🐛 Inaccurate or outdated product information
- 🔒 Concerns about privacy and data sharing

**Reported bugs**

- Login and account creation issues
- Inability to remove or edit campaigns
- Slow performance and lagging
- Compatibility problems with newer devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to manually add or update product information
- Option to filter by location or country
- Improved search and browsing functionality
- More comprehensive database of products and companies


### PalmOil Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palmoil-scan/id671945416)

Empower your shopping decisions by identifying products from companies committed to sourcing sustainable palm oil. Scan barcodes or search by product to understand brand commitments and contribute to conservation efforts.

**Highlights:** Barcode scanner for product identification, Search by product keyword, Check company commitment to sustainable palm oil, Learn about palm oil and conservation, Contact companies about sourcing practices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for sustainable shopping
- 👍 Easy to use and user-friendly
- 👍 Informative resource for palm oil
- 👍 Helps identify sustainable products
- 👍 Supports environmental causes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Inaccurate ratings/labels
- 👎 Relies heavily on RSPO, which is criticized
- 👎 Incomplete product database
- 👎 Outdated UI/design
- 👎 Limited functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Contact company button doesn't work for non-Apple Mail users
- Back button does not return to search list
- App is not recognizing products
- Error 'Not Found' page upon opening
- Locked into donate website with no way out

**Requested features**

- Improve functionality to contact companies
- Add mechanism for contacting companies other than Apple Mail
- Allow users to call out companies and share information
- Incorporate other certifications (Fair Trade, Palm Done Right)
- Consider POIG membership in ratings


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buycott free?

Buycott costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PalmOil Scan free?

PalmOil Scan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Buycott or PalmOil Scan?

PalmOil Scan is rated higher. Buycott averages 4.5 out of 5 from 2.4K ratings, while PalmOil Scan averages 4.7 from 25 ratings.

### Do Buycott or PalmOil Scan have ads?

Neither Buycott nor PalmOil Scan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buycott or PalmOil Scan?

Buycott ships an update every 2 months, and PalmOil Scan every 11 months. Most recently, Buycott was updated on November 10, 2026 and PalmOil Scan on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*